The present invention relates to an image recording body and a transfer foil which are suitably applied to a contact- or non-contact type electronic or magnetic card, sheet, and the like, which store personal information and the like for which security is demanded to prevent forgery, altetration and the like.
In recent years, contact- or non-contact-type electronic or magnetic cards, and the like, have increasingly been issued in the field of service industry such as banks, business organizations, educational institutions, public agencies, and the like. Personal information such as a portrait, a name, and the like, is recorded on image recording bodies such as cash cards, employee cards, company membership cards, membership cards, student cards, aliens registration cards, various types of license cards, and the like, which are employed in various fields. Accordingly, these cards are subjected to security treatment so that forgery as well as altetration is not readily carried out.
For example, a hologram layer is provided onto a card substrate and a special image is formed so that a portrait, a name, issue date, and the like are not readily imitated. Said image is generally called a diffraction grating image or athologram image. Said hologram image is formed employing interference infringes obtained by overlapping waves which are reflected from a body or transmitted through a body with the reference waves. By employing said hologram image, the image of the body is stereoscopically reproduced. The surface of the hologram layer is covered with a protective sheet having high light transmission. Employed as said protective sheet are transparent resins and the like which are employed for lamination, and the hologram layer, which exhibits less strength than the card substrate, is covered with the protective sheet and thereby protected.
Heretofore, frequently employed as transparent resins for protective layers, as well as protective sheets, are actinic light-hardened resins. Actinic light-hardened resins, especially ultraviolet radiation-hardened resins, are mainly divided into two types, that is, cation polymerization type resins and radical polymerization type resins. In the cation polymerization type resins, compounds, which exhibit strong stimuli to human body and pollute the environment, have frequently been employed as polymerization initiators. Accordingly, the radical polymerization type resins have preferably been employed in many cases. However, the protective layer comprised of the radical polymerization type actinic light-hardened resins is excessively hard and has had problems in which abrasion is readily caused, and images such as portraits, and the like recorded on an image recording body are not recognizable. On the other hand, a protective layer comprised of the cation polymerization type actinic light-hardened resins is relatively soft in most cases. However, such protective layer is too soft and has also had problems in which abrasion is readily caused.
The inventors of the present invention have diligently investigated the problems and have discovered that in order to clarify the ease of abrasion, a parameter, designated as breaking elongation, plays a big role. It has been found that the radical polymerization type actinic light-hardened resins, which are excessively hard and are readily abraded, have a breaking elongation of 1 to 2 percent, while the cation polymerization type actinic light-hardened resins, which are too soft and are readily abraded, have a breaking elongation of at least 150 percent.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to obtain an actinic light-hardened resin layer which is neither too hard nor too soft and tends not to suffer abrasion, while paying attention to the parameter designated as breaking elongation. Further, it is another object of the present invention to obtain an abrasion resistant resin layer, as well as a protective layer in addition to the protective layer comprised of an actinic light-hardened resin, and a protective layer employed only to protect the hologram.
The radical polymerization type actinic light-hardened resin layer is preferred environmentally. However, as described above, many of them are very hard, and thus it has been difficult to obtain a resin layer having breaking elongation in the range of the present invention. Accordingly, it is still another object of the present invention to obtain a radical polymerization type actinic light-hardened resin layer which has suitable breaking elongation and is preferred environmentally.
Further, heretofore, when the actinic light-hardened resin layer is provided on an image recording body, a common method has been one in which an actinic light-hardened resin coating composition is directly applied onto said image recording body which has been subjected to image recording, and thereafter actinic light-hardened resin layer is provided by hardening said layer, being subjected to actinic light exposure. However, when such a method is employed, problems have occurred in which the resulting image is not clearly seen due to the non-uniformity of the surface on account of non-uniform coating, the resulting appearance is not preferred due to a slightly yellow-tinted protective layer, and the like.
Thus, the inventors of the present invention have diligently investigated the problems and discovered the following. When a transfer foil is employed which is comprised of an actinic light-hardened resin layer which has been subjected to hardening, employing actinic light exposure, and exhibits breaking elongation in the range of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an image recording body which exhibits excellent transferability, surface properties, and abrasion resistance while transferring the actinic light-hardened resin layer onto the image recording body which has been subjected to image recording. Further, it has been found that compared to the coating method, the transfer method exhibits advantages in which the protective layer may be provided at high speed and maintainability is improved.
Accordingly, it is a further object of the present invention to obtain a resin layer (a protective layer) transfer foil which makes it possible to obtain an image recording body which is readily transferred, and further exhibits excellent surface properties as well as excellent abrasion resistance.
Further, a precaution is required to minimize blocking of the transfer foil when wound in a roll and stored for an extended period of time. Namely, it is a still further object of the present invention to minimize blocking of the transfer foil.
Further, according to the production method of cards using the conventional system, for instance, a laminate film and a hologram sheet are separately formed, and after passing through a laminating process, the extra laminate film is trimmed. Excellent forgery preventing functions are particularly demanded for photo-bearing company membership cards, driver""s license cards, and the like, and further, demanded are excellent surface protective properties, surface abrasion resistance, as well as excellent design properties and identification properties.
The present invention was achieved to solve the aforementioned problems. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an image recording body as well as an optical variable device transfer foil which exhibits excellent forgery inhibiting functions, excellent surface protection properties, excellent surface abrasion resistance, extreme difficulty for non-detectable forgery as well as altetration, and further, design properties, and identification properties.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems as well as to achieve objects, the present invention is embodied as described below.
(1) A foil transferring a resin layer comprising a support and an actinic light-hardened resin layer which is transferred, wherein a breaking elongation of the actinic light-hardened resin layer is 5 to 90 percent.
(2) The foil described in (1) wherein the actinic light-hardened resin layer is a UV-hardened resin layer.
(3) The foil described in (1) wherein the actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises an unsaturated group containing resin having an average molecular weight of 5,000 to 50,000.
(4) The foil described in (1) wherein wherein the actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises a compound composed of a monomer having ethylenic unsaturated group or an oligomer having ethylenic unsaturated group.
(5) The foil described in (1) wherein the actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises a non-hardened resin.
(6) The foil described in (1) wherein a surface static friction coefficient of the actinic hardened resin layer is 0.01 to 0.5.
(7) The foil described in (6) wherein the actinic hardened resin layer comprises a silicon or fluorine compound.
(8) The foil described in (7) wherein the silicon or fluorine compound contains an unsaturated group containing silicon or fluorine compound.
(9) The foil described in (6) wherein the actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises a coupling agent.
(10) The foil described in (1) comprising a release layer and an adhesive layer wherein the actinic hardened resin layer is provided on the release layer.
(11) The foil described in (1) wherein at least one side of the support having a central line average roughness (Ra) of 0.05 to 0.5 xcexcm.
(12) The foil described in (11) wherein the side of the support having a central line average roughness (Ra) of 0.05 to 0.5 xcexcm is a side on which the actinic light-hardened resin layer is not provided.
(13) An image recording body comprising a support, an image recording layer and an actinic light-hardened resin layer forming outermost layer, wherein a breaking elongation of the actinic light-hardened resin layer is 5 to 90 percent.
(14) The image recording body described in (13) wherein the actinic light-hardened resin layer is a UV-hardened resin layer.
(15) The image recording body described in (13) wherein the actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises an unsaturated group containing resin having an average molecular weight of 5,000 to 50,000.
(16) The image recording body described in (13) wherein the actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises a compound composed of a monomer having ethylenic unsaturated group or an oligomer having ethylenic unsaturated group.
(17) The image recording body bed in (13) comprising two actinic light-hardened resin layers.
(18) The image recording body bed in (13) comprising optical variable device layer.
(19) The image recording body bed in (13) wherein the actinic light-hardened resin layer is transferred from the foil transferring a resin layer.
(20) An image recording body characterized in that a transparent protective layer and/or an optical variable device layer is provided on an image recording layer, on which an actinic light-hardened resin layer, having a breaking elongation in the range of 5 to 90 percent, is provided.
(21) An image recording body characterized in that a transparent protective layer and/or an optical variable device layer is provided on an image recording layer, on which an actinic light-hardened resin layer, having a surface static friction coefficient in the range of 0.01 to 0.5, is provided.
(22) The image recording body of (20) or (21), characterized in that said actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises a non-hardened resin.
(23) The image recording body of (20) or (21), characterized in that said actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises an unsaturated group containing resin having an average molecular weight of 500 to 50,000.
(24) The image recording body of (20) or (21), characterized in that said actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises a silicon or fluorine compound containing resin.
(25) The image recording body of (24), characterized in that said Silicon or fluorine compound comprises an unsaturated group containing a Silicon or fluorine compound containing resin.
(26) The image recording body of (20) or (21), characterized in that said actinic light-hardened resin layer comprises a coupling agent.
(27) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that after providing the actinic light-hardened resin layer described in any one of (20) through (26), exposure is carried out employing actinic light, whereby a hardened layer is formed.
(28) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that a transparent protective layer and/or an optical variable device layer is provided on an image recording layer, on which the actinic light-hardened resin layer, described in any one of (20) through (26), is provided; thereafter, exposure is carried out employing actinic light; and a hardened layer is formed.
(29) A transfer foil characterized in that a resin layer having breaking elongation in the range of 5 to 90 percent is provided on the side having releasability of a releasable support.
(30) A transfer foil characterized in comprising a resin layer having a surface static friction coefficient in the range of 0.01 to 0.5 on the side having releasability of a releasable support.
(31) The transfer foil of (29) or (30), characterized in that said resin layer is comprised of at least one actinic light-hardened resin layer.
(32) The transfer foil described in any one of (29) through (31), characterized in that said resin layer comprises a non-hardenable.
(33) The transfer foil described in any one of (29) through (31), characterized in that said resin layer comprises an unsaturated group containing resin having an average molecular weight of 5,000 to 50,000.
(34) The transfer foil described in any one of (29) through (32), characterized in that said resin layer comprises a silicon or fluorine compound.
(35) The transfer foil of (34), characterized in that said silicon or fluorine compound comprises an unsaturated group containing a silicon or fluorine compound.
(36) The transfer foil described in any one of (29) through (32), characterized in that said resin layer comprises a coupling agent.
(37) The transfer foil described in any one of (29) through (36), characterized in that after forming said resin layer, an interlayer and an adhesive layer are successively provided.
(38) The transfer foil described in any one of (29) through (36), characterized in that after forming said resin layer, an optical variable device layer, an interlayer, and an adhesive layer are successively provided.
(39) An preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that said transfer foil is transferred to an adherend.
(40) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that the transfer foil described in (37) is transferred to an adherend which has been subjected to transfer of a transparent protective layer and/or an optical variable device layer onto an image recording layer.
(41) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that after applying the actinic light-hardened layer described in any one of (31) through (39) onto the side having releasability of a releasable support, a hardened layer is formed through exposure of actinic light, and thereafter interlayer and an adhesive layer are successively provided.
(42) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that after applying the actinic light-hardened layer of (38) onto the side having releasability of a releasable support, a hardened layer is formed through exposure of actinic light, and thereafter optical variable device layer, an interlayer, and an adhesive layer are successively provided.
(43) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that after applying the actinic light-hardened layer of (38) onto the side having releasability of a releasable support, a hardened layer is formed through exposure of actinic light, and thereafter adhesive layer, an optical variable device layer, an interlayer, and an adhesive layer are successively provided.
(44) xe2x80x9cA preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that a transfer foil, produced employing the production method for a transfer foil described in any one of (41) through (43), is transferred to an adherend.xe2x80x9d
(45) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that a transfer foil produced employing the production method for a transfer foil described in any one of (41) through (43) is transferred to an adherend which has been subjected to transfer of an optical variable device layer.
(46) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that the interlayer, described in (37), (38), (41), and (43), comprises at least either polyvinyl butyral resins or polybutyral thermally hardened resins having a degree of polymerization of at least 1,000, and an adhesive layer comprises at least both urethane-modified ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers and polyacrylic acid ester copolymers.
(47) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that the interlayer of (44) or (45) comprises at least either polyvinyl butyral resins or polybutyral thermally hardened resins having a degree of polymerization of at least 1,000, and an adhesive layer comprises at least both urethane-modified ethylene ethyl acrylate copolymers and polyacrylic acid ester copolymers.
(48) A transfer foil characterized in that a support is employed which has a central line average roughness (Ra) in the range of 0.05 to 0.5 xcexcm on one surface.
(49) In a transfer file in which a transfer layer is provided on a support, a transfer foil characterized in that a support is employed which has a central line average roughness (Ra) in the range of 0.05 to 0.5 xcexcm on the surface which is not yet subjected to transfer.
(50) A transfer foil roll characterized in that the winding tension applied to a core for a transfer foil of (48) or (49) is in the range of 0.6 to 7 kg.
(51) The transfer foil described in any one of (29) through (38), (48) and (49), characterized in that a support is employed which has a central line average roughness (Ra) in the range of 0.05 to 0.5 xcexcm on one side surface.
(52) A transfer foil roll in (51), characterized in that winding tension applied to a core for a transfer foil is in the range of 0.6 to 7 kg.
(53) In an image recording body comprising a support having thereon an information bearing layer, which bears at least one item of identification information or bibliographical information, and also an optical variable device layer, and a protective layer, an image recording body characterized in that the frequency and/or the depth of marking on said optical variable device is at least continuous at connections of cycles of a marking pattern.
(54) In an image recording body comprising a support having thereon an information bearing layer, which bears at least one item of identification information or bibliographical information, and also an optical variable device layer, and a protective layer, an image recording body characterized in that reflected wavelengths, when observed from a specified angle toward markings on said optical variable device, is continuous at the cyclic portion of a marking pattern.
(55) In an image recording body comprising a support having thereon an information bearing layer, which bears an image region having gradations as well as bibliographical information, an optical variable device layer, and a protective layer, an image recording body characterized in that said optical variable device layer is subjected to less optical conversion effects on said image region mainly comprised of a portrait than those on other regions.
(56) In an image recording body comprising a support having thereon an information bearing layer, which bears an image region having gradations as well as bibliographical information, an optical variable device layer, and a protective layer, an image recording body characterized in that the entire area of either a layer of the side of said image recording body or a layer on the surface side, or a portion corresponding to the continuation of cycles of a marking pattern on said optical variable device layer, has a layer which has unevenness or different light transmittance or said layer is located so as to partially cover the image region as well as the bibliographical information.
(57) In an image recording body comprising a support having thereon an information bearing layer, which bears identification information as well as bibliographical information, an optical variable device layer, and a protective layer, an image recording body characterized in that the ratio of the refractive index of said optical variable device layer to that of said protective layer is at least 0.8 and no more than 1.2.
(58) In an image recording body comprising a support having thereon an information bearing layer, which bears identification information as well as bibliographical information, an optical variable device layer, and a protective layer, an image recording body characterized in that the ratio of the linear thermal expansion coefficient of said optical variable device layer to that of said protective layer is at least 0.5 and no more than 2.0.
(59) An image recording body described in any one of (53) through (58), characterized in that said protective layer is a transparent hardenable protective layer hardened employing actinic light.
(60) An image recording body described in any one of (53) through (58), characterized in that said optical variable device layer is a hologram, a diffraction grating, an uneven relief body.
(61) An optical variable device transfer foil characterized in that a transfer foil comprises a support having thereon at least an optical variable device layer and an adhesive layer, said transfer foil is wound in a roll, and the frequency and/or the depth of marking on said optical variable device layer is continuous at connections of cycles of marking pattern in the foil length direction.
(62) An optical variable device transfer foil characterized in that a transfer foil comprises a support having thereon at least an optical variable device layer and an adhesive layer, said transfer foil is wound on a roll, and the reflected wavelengths when observed from a specified angle to marking on said optical variable device layer is continuous at connections of cycles of a marking pattern.
(63) An optical variable device transfer foil characterized in that a transfer foil comprises a support having thereon at least an optical variable device layer and an adhesive layer, said transfer foil is wound in a roll, and optical conversion effects in parts across the width is less than those in other regions and the part having said less optical conversion effects is overlapped with the image region after transfer.
(64) An optical variable device transfer foil described in any one of (61) through (66), characterized in that said protective layer is a transparent hardenable protective layer which has been hardened employing actinic light.
(65) An optical variable device transfer foil described in any one of (61) through (66), characterized in that between said support and said optical variable device layer, a release layer and a protective layer are provided in said order, and said protective layer is hardened employing actinic light.
(66) An optical variable device transfer foil described in any one of (61) through (65), characterized in that said optical variable device layer is a hologram, a diffraction grating, a uneven relief body.
(67) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that on a support, an information bearing layer, which bears at least one item of identification information or bibliographical information, is provided; an optical variable device layer, in which the frequency and/or the depth of markings on said image bearing layer is continuous at connections of cycles of marking pattern, is provided, and on said optical variable device layer, a protective layer is provided.
(68) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that on a support, an information bearing layer, which bears at least one item of identification information or bibliographical information, is provided; on said information bearing layer, an optical variable device layer, in which the reflected wavelengths when observed from a specified angle toward markings on said optical variable device layer is continuous at connections of cycles of a marking pattern, and on said optical variable device layer, a protective layer is provided.
(69) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that on a support, an information bearing layer, which bears at least one item of identification information or bibliographical information, is provided; on said information bearing layer, an optical variable device layer, in which the reflected wavelengths when observed from a specified angle toward markings on said optical variable device layer is continuous at connections of cycles of a marking pattern, and on said optical variable device layer, a protective layer is provided.
(70) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that on a support, an information bearing layer, which bears at least one item of identification information or bibliographical information, is provided; on said information bearing layer, an optical variable device layer is provided in a roll shape, in which optical conversion effects in parts across the width are less than those in other regions, and the part having said fewer optical conversion effects is overlapped with the image region after transfer, and on said optical variable device layer, a protective layer is provided.
(71) A preparation method for an image recording body described in any one of (67) through (70), characterized in that said protective layer is a transparent hardenable protective layer which has been hardened employing actinic light.
(72) A preparation method for an image recording body characterized in that said optical variable device layer is a hologram, a diffraction grating, a uneven relief body.
By employing the image recording body, the transfer foil, the preparation method of the image recording body, and the preparation method of the transfer foil of the present invention, security such as prevention for forgery, alliteration, and the like is enhanced, and scratch resistance is also enhanced, compared to the conventional methods. Thus it is possible to minimize abrasion as well as wrinkling.
Further, when the transfer foil is wound on a roll, blocking properties during storage for an extended time of period are improved, and it is also possible to minimize adhesion.